The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) was introduced in April 2011 and is additional to funding for pupils deemed to be disadvantaged. The money must be spent on that pupil to support their education, but it is for the school to determine how it is spent. Pupil premium funding does not have to be used for the individual pupil it is given for, and can support groups of children. Parents should be involved in the programme, but schools do not have to consult  parents on what parents’ preferred activities are for their child, and parents do not have a right to demand that the money their child brings to the school is spent on their individual child.

Why has PPG been introduced? Poverty or low income is the single most important factor in predicting a child’s future life chances, with many pupils having low attainment by the time they leave school at age 16. The Government believes that the Pupil Premium is the best way to address these underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

Who receives the Pupil Premium? Pupil Premium is allocated to pupils in school year groups from Reception to Year 11 from low income families who are registered for FSM, or who have been registered for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6’), together with children that have been in care continuously for 6 months or more.

This is significant additional money for schools to spend on supporting disadvantaged pupils and schools are very keen to ensure that all eligible pupils are ‘signed up’. Grants are based on those pupils included in the January schools’ census.

How can parents access this support for the benefit of their child? 

Parents must apply for free school meals via Devon Citizens Portal
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You will need your National Insurance Number, date of birth, name and child’s details.